Under Armour Goes Lightweight With the Spine Venom

When it comes to running sneakers, every brand has its bread-and-butter series. For Nike it's the Free, for Mizuno the Wave, and Asics the GEL, and so on. When you think of Under Armour, first thing that should come to mind is the Spine sneaker. After having experienced success with its flagship Spine running sneaker model, UA is expanding the line in 2013 with the addition of the Spine Venom.

Much of the performance specs for the Venom remain the same from its predecessor, including the MPZ mesh upper and the Micro G foam midsole. Even the spinal outsole pattern of the shoe remains unchanged. The major upgrades in the Venom come in the form of a weight reduction, as well as the cage-like design of the upper. The Venom weighs in at 8.75 ounces, which is about a full ounce lighter than the original Spine. Most of this weight loss comes from the foam beneath the mesh on the upper. In the first Spine shoe, the foam covered the entire shoe, where as in the Venom, the foam has been strategically hollowed out to make the sneaker more breathable, lightweight, and still comfortable.

Along with a drop in weight, the Venom's price has been reduced to a reasonable $90 (about a $20 decrease from the original Spine). The sneakers are available now at UA.